


the secrets we hide

by lightningrani



Series: FE:Fates Drabbles [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen, some knowledge of awakening required
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 01:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6591808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningrani/pseuds/lightningrani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laslow doesn't like it that he needs to dye his hair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the secrets we hide

**Author's Note:**

> Note that this is written before I play Revelations OR Hidden Truth, so if it's not accurate, sorry. All I know is that, for some reason, IS decided to make the Awakening clones actually the characters from Awakening, instead of reincarnations or something like that. So, I'm running with it.

It was difficult to find dye in the middle of the war. Especially when they were fighting all the time. No one thought much of it; he was a vain person, so of course he would care about his looks. Only Selena and Odin know the truth, but, well there was no way that they wouldn't.

He checked his stock and sighed. It was running out again. What a shame. Looks like he would have to go a village and flirt with some girls and find some. Ah, the things he had to do for safety.

**

They had that discussion when they came over. Odin and Selena had hair which seemed reasonable, normal even. There would be nothing remarkable about them that stuck out.

(Well, other than Odin himself, but really, there was no way around it. If he hadn't learned subtlety in the future, then nothing would change him)

Laslow, well, not so much. Selena pointed out that he could shave his head to get around it, but Laslow almost had fainted on the spot. 

(She rolled her eyes at his aghast expression. "God, I was just joking. Don't take things so seriously." 

"But-why-it's my hair!")

Odin suggested he wore a hat, which seemed like a good idea at the beginning, until Odin brought out the hat he thought it was burnt. Laslow minced it with his sword. 

("Why destroy this piece of beauty, this symbol of strength?" Odin wailed over the scraps. "You were meant for so much more, Crowninator."

Selena rolled her eyes. "Crowninator? Really?")

Laslow eventually stumbled upon the idea himself. One of the girls he was flirting with asked what he used to make his hair such a striking color. 

"It may be hard to believe, but this is all natural," Laslow said with a smirk.

She snorted. "Rubbish. My ma is a herbalist, and I know she has plants which produce a pigment like that. Do you really think a girl would fall for that line?"

Laslow blinked. "There are things which could do that?"

A few covert visits to said mother (who threatened to beat Laslow if he hurt her daughter until he clarified why he came) and soon, he had a nice selection of dye to work with. The first one he tried was a dark blue, almost black.

(Selena snorted when she saw that. "Still bitter that you're not a prince, huh?"

"Like you're the one to speak."

She scowled. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this!")

It didn't work like he intended to. Instead of a nice, dark blue color, it turned out an ashy grey. It kind of made him look old, to be honest. 

But it apparently took much longer than he thought it would for the dye to come out, and with such a dark color, well, he couldn't dye it anything else. And Selena and Odin were getting impatient.

So he left, looking like he went grey early. 

On the plus side, it made him more distinguished looking, in his opinion. Maybe he would strike out less with the girls.

(Turns out it wasn't his hair color which was causing him to fail.)

**

No one could know about his secret. There was no doubt, in the minds of the others, that the dullest part of him was his hair. And there would be questions if they learned the truth.

He therefore always snuck out as the sun was about to set. Just enough light to see his reflection, and quiet enough that no one would see him.

Padding to the side of the river, he glanced down at his reflection. Laslow had gotten used to seeing his new face in the water. His face looked strong and serious, like a true man.

Bending down, he pulled at his scalp to get a better look at his roots. Ah, yes, there it was. The bright pink of his natural color was just peeking through. Looks like he got the timing down.

"I'm sorry, Mother," he whispered as he started to apply the dye to his hair. What would she think, if she saw him now? Would she think he was embarrassed of her?

On the contrary. He was doing this whole thing because of her. Because of her quiet strength and resolve. Because a part of him wanted to be like her.

It got easier with time, but it would never stop hurting.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Laslow when he realizes that Nohr is pretty chill with interesting hair colors, even pink: *starts foaming at the mouth*   
> Ah, poor child.


End file.
